distressed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of distressednext
1
as in troubled

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in depressed

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Dissimilar Words

distressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distress
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distressed
Adjective
When these holdings fell sharply, margin calls forced the fund into distressed selling. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Their distressed midcalf moto boots were at the top of every stylish girl's wish list. — Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
Some users were distressed last year after OpenAI made changes that made the bot less people-pleasing. — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 1 June 2026 And so, hounded by creditors and distressed by mounting debts, the remaining family had to leave their formerly genteel surroundings for the gritty, unsentimental shadows of the Yoshiwara. — Literary Hub, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressed
  1. troubled
  2. depressed
  3. alarmed
  4. agitated
  5. reduced
  6. disturbed
  7. ruined
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • Unmasking ‘Criminal’ The FBI became aware of Spitze’s online crimes through his troubled home life and desire for fame, according to a DOJ sentencing memo to the court.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Hayden Panettiere's troubled relationship with on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson had one final, unexpected chapter that is still unfolding.
    — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Bessent, for one, said a key reason he got involved in politics was to help tackle deficits running at a pace unprecedented for times outside of major wars, pandemics or depressed job markets.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressed
Verb
  • Garcia said that before the attack, residents were already alarmed by a May news release from the city manager of neighboring Rio Vista, who warned that the project and potential annexation could open the door to a giant data center being built.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Terrified Jewish voters—alarmed by progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s anti-Zionist rhetoric—are fleeing to Republican Mike Rogers for self-preservation.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • And if the person seems agitated or unpredictable, skip the direct request altogether.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For the agitated activist—Mike Davis’ Late Victorian Holocausts with Equator.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • Sunday’s 202km stage from Monaco to Manosque was expected to finish in a reduced bunch sprint, but was hilly enough for a breakaway to be given encouragement.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The district’s memo said its goals aren’t around less technology, but are centered on using these tools in the most effective ways with clear goals and reduced distractions.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • Peonies don’t like to be disturbed and may not bloom the next year, but division is sometimes necessary.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The study hypothesized that the sickle was added before the body fully decomposed since no joints were detached or displaced, as archaeologists would expect if a grave were to be disturbed after the body became a skeleton.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • You’re not distracted by the clients waiting behind you or the sense that someone is watching and waiting for your chair to open up.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • If it is blocked, both studios could emerge from the litigation having spent a year distracted and constrained while the rest of the industry moved forward.
    — Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracted

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Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressed. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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